Poll: New Jersey voters strongly support gay marriage

New Jersey voters continue to overwhelmingly support passing a law to allow same-sex couples to marry, according to a new poll.

Sixty percent support allowing gay couples to marry, while 31 percent oppose it according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released today. Democrats are the strongest supporters with 69 percent in support and 23 against, followed by independent voters 64 percent to 28 percent. But a majority of Republicans also supports same-sex marriage with 49 percent saying they’d allow it and 39 percent saying they’re against it.

Although Governor Christie opposes legalizing gay marriage, the same poll found that voters overwhelmingly support his re-election bid over Democratic challenger Barbara Buono, 61 percent to 29 percent.

“The governor’s job approval rating is stratospheric and even his veto of same-sex marriage, an issue which continues to draw 2-1 support, hasn’t hurt him,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Democratic leaders in the State Senate having been trying to woo Republican members to vote with them to override Christie’s veto of a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. They’ve accused Christie of blocking Republicans in favor of the bill from voting to support it. When Christie was asked if that was true at a recent event, he called the question insulting. “What you’re implying through this question is that Republicans have not to this point voted their conscience,” he said.

Buono is using the public support for gay marriage to hammer Christie, saying he’s standing in the way of marriage quality.

Christie has said voters should decide the issue in a referendum.

David Redlwask, director of the EagletonCenter for Public Interest Polling at RutgersUniversity, said had the Democrats moved to put the same-sex marriage question on the ballot, it could have helped Buono and those seeking Legislative races in November because voters support it.

“You also will motivate your people to get out and in this state, unlike most other states, this is a plus for Democrats,” he said.